1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a ceramic substrate suitable for mounting thereon and receiving therein an element for an electronic device and more particularly to a ceramic substrate suitable for an element for semiconductive integrated circuit. The invention relates also to a method of automatically feeding ceramic substrates with the least possibility of damage thereto.
2. Prior Art
This kind of ceramic substrate heretofore in use is excellent in insulating property, chemical stability, wear resistance, high hardness, low thermal expansion rate, and the like, and particularly pre-eminently excellent in point of characteristics of material for receiving a semiconductive integrated circuit element therein, while on the other hand it is low in impulse resistance and, as apparent from a plan view and a side view of the ceramic substrate of the conventional type shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the ceramic substrate 1 is planar on the end face 1' and, when the ceramic substrates collide with each other, collision of the end face 1' of one substrate 1 with that of another substrate 1 or collision of the end face 1' with the corner portion R of another substrate 1 often produces fissures, cracks, chips, etc. in the ceramic substrate 1. Accordingly, when, in the assembling of a semiconductor device, numerous working processes such as mounting of a semiconductive integrated circuit on the substrate 1, bonding of the circuit to the substrate 1 are automated, there is encountered a great obstacle such as repeated collision of one ceramic substrate with another as often as the substrates are transferred on an assembling conveyor line, which collision produces fissures, cracks, etc. in the ceramic substrate 1, with the result that reduction is made both in the yield and in the reliability of products.